The present research program deals with the synthesis of new anticonvulsant drugs using preparative methods involving new carbanionic intermediates derived from compounds having certain structural features common to several established types of anticonvulsant agents. The major goal of this research is to prepare novel compounds which cannot be synthesized by means of traditional methods for constructing the parent molecule. Among the major classes of compounds chosen for synthesis are new derivatives of the following molecules: (1) 2-(2-oxo-2-(4-pyridyl) ethyl)-3-aryl-4 (3H) quinazolinones, (2) 1,6-dihydro-2-(2-oxo-2-(4-pyridyl) ethyl)-1-aryl-6-oxopyrimidines, (3) alpla, alpha-disubstituted and fused-ring derivatives of glutarimide and succinimide, (4) alpla, alpha-disubstituted 3,5-morpholinediones, 6-chloro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-3 (4H)-ones, and benzothiazinone-1, 1-dioxides, (5) 3-substituted-3H-1, 4-benzodiazepin-2 (IH)-ones, and (6) alpha-alkyl-N'-acyl-p-trimethylsilylphenylacetyl ureas.